So, yeah. I decided that I enjoyed the first one so much that I wanted to see the latest one and with a quick download, I delved into a sequel that I was really looking forward to seeing. I guess I should note that I do not really care for sequels unless it is named “The Godfather Part 2”. Still, as I said, I enjoyed the first one so much that I really needed to see the next offering and having read the premise, I was fully on board to be caught up in the experience once again. REC 2 has an awesome premise, in that picks up right after the original and gives us a new look at what is happening from a different standpoint. It also gives a whole world of new information about what we are dealing with and I really like that. Yes, it centres around anew cast of people dealing with the exact same scenario just with a different cast. To me, that is all money. REC 2 follows a SWAT team brought in to control the situation and look for survivors of “the incident”. Things soon turn ghoulish as, one by one, they begin to fall to the horde.
Note – The following will contain spoilers, quite frankly.
The plot of this one is pretty similar to the last one but there is no pacing issues with this one. Because it takes up the matle right after the incident of the first one, we are launched into the party pretty quickly. The opening scene sets us up for the premise and in under 5 minutes, we are shot into the location with all sorts of continuity thrown at us to familiarise ourselves with what is going on. Here's the thing, I fucking love when things tie together in movies. I think it takes a lot of control to keep everything where it should be and this movie has done it just as well as any other you care to mention. Still, the plot is very similar to the original with the added bonus that we are treated to more information about the beast that roams the building. We are told in more detail about the possession of the Madeiras girl and how it is spreading. If you have seen the first one, then you will know what I mean when I say that it is the same chaotic environment in the sequel. A lot of people may not like that but I think that it adds to the plot pretty well. If you have a good basis for a sequel, then the plot should remain the same. REC 2 manages to keep everything together in a nifty little plot continuation and I really enjoyed it.
The cast, again, is pretty minimal and you shouldn't get too attached to any of the characters once again. In REC 2, it seems as though all of the characters have a smaller shelf life than your typical organic produce. And just like produce, they are being chewed from every angle. However, there is no real stand out performer in the sequel. It could be that it it was much more of an ensemble piece and although the star of the original makes an appearance, even she is drowned out by the chaos. The casting is good, so far as I am concerned. I would have lied a little more time for someone to come out of their shell and really wow me like the original allowed for but it was not to be. It got the job done but don't expect a glamorous showing.
I only had one gripe with this movie that might have degraded it in my book. It seemed as though the voice of reason was continually drowned out in the chaos. One of the characters, Mire, is continually shot down with bright ideas. Her idiotic cohorts always seem to get their way and it really began to annoy me that her logic was continually being overlooked for ideas that make no sense in the bigger scheme of things. Still, that was my main gripe with REC 2. The other thing that I am still undecided on, is whether it was smart to go quite so supernatural with the plot. In the original, it does make mention of the possession but it was fully taken to the boundaries of reality in this one. There is a priest and rosary beads everywhere. It just seemed to lose it's way from the original and I was a little taken aback as to why they had did this. I'm not sure it is a problem yet but it might come to me down the road.
This one was a lot more professional, on the whole. The camera work was a lot more professional and a lot less off-putting but given that I love seeing that, I was a bit annoyed that they seemed to have lost a lot of things that made the original film great. Still, it is a decent movie that comes after a good original. No real story here.
After seeing the initial trailer and some footage, I had pretty low expectations for this movie and specifically thought that Chris Hemsworth looked bland and lifeless in the title role. Once it opened, it got hyped up from some critics and moviegoers so I figured it must be a lot better than the bits of footage I had seen. The end result seems to land somewhere in the middle - not extraordinary, but not mediocre.
Most of the beginning of the film takes place in the fantasy realm of Asgard and it nearly put me to sleep. It came across as a paint-by-numbers Marvel flick relying so much on visuals and action and very little on anything else. However tedious (I really hated the Hopkins voiceover lead-in), the exposition was necessary to set the wheels in motion and give us insight into the core characters of Thor and Loki and their motivations. I just wish they got it over with quicker. Branagh's Shakespearean eye came through quite obviously in many of the Asgard scenes - notably the one where Odin (the King, Thor's father) collapses. It felt like something straight out of Lear. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing.
Once Thor hit Earth, I was interested. From there on out, things started to feel a lot less forced and a lot more fun. The humour worked wonders in making every character (most notably Thor) endearing and I was drawn into what was going on with them. All the human Earth-dwelling characters were acted quite well and grounded the film - solid performances by Kat Dennings (who got a laugh on nearly every line of hers), Natalie Portman, and Stellan Skarsgard. They were all believable in a way that didn't make me groan. I liked the fact that at times, they acted like humans do act - when Selvig tells Jane not to drive Thor to the government site, she doesn't (well, not without further motivation anyways).
I was definitely impressed by Chris Hemsworth, much to my surprise. He was charismatic and confident and used the humour of a decent screenplay to great advantage. He looked the part and he certainly did his job. He worked well with Natalie Portman as well - they played off each other in a way that seemed effortless and though I didn't quite buy into the epic love bond they are supposed to share by the end of the film, I did sense the chemistry and I wanted them to be together.
All-in-all a decent blockbuster that is entertaining and brings you along on its journey without too much hand-holding. It's not life-changing, but it's also not a waste of time. 3.5/5
I recently watched this independent film that came out on DVD this week, and was released last year in South Korea. Jee-woon Kim directed the film. Byung- Hun Lee stars as Detective Kim Soo-hyeon that goes on a rampage after learning that his pregnant newlywed wife was killed by a vicious serial killer.
Min-sik Choi who is famous for his leading role in the revenge flick Old Boy, is unrelenting notorious serial killer Kyung-chul, who is responsible for killing Detective Kim's wife and various other stranded young women. Detective Kim blurs the lines between good and evil when he goes on his quests to find and torture Kyung-chul and those that are aligned with him.
It asks the question who is the real monster? Who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist? This is the best film I have seen in a long time. The best independent film I have viewed this year (Along with Let the Right One In). Most of them have been depressing Latin immigration films. I highly recommend this film to anyone. If you have Netflix, you can order it through the mail. I'm not sure if Redbox or Blockbuster express has the film. Highly recommended: 5/5
I have to comment on the ending for those that are curious. I found it ironic that Kyung-chul killed the Detective's family, and the detective had Kyung's family inadvertently kill him. The movie asks which one is the monster, but I don't find the detective as the antagonist. He does go around and tortures the murdered and other murderers, but he never kills them. The murderers go around and kill or rape whoever they see. I think the killer got off easy, but that is just me.
Other recommendations:Inside Job (2010) 5/5, Mortal Kombat (1995) 3/5 [ I know it's cheesy, but it is actually not as bad as I thought it would be upon a second viewing.] Do avoid Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997) 0/5, this movie is too terrible to even be funny.
Going into this movie, I had heard a lot from many people about the overall quality of the movie. That being said, I am not one that is easily swayed by what other people think about something and I had to check out what all he fuss was about for myself. I have heard everything from it being the most depressingly boring film of this year to you better bring extra underwear. Still, I had to find out where I fell on this spectrum and headed into this movie with no fear. The lights were off and the headphones were in my ears. Insidious, as you may know by now, centres around a haunted boy who slips into a coma early on in the movie. As the movie progresses, you can bet that things get more and more creepy. As the parents come to terms with what they are witnessing, the encounters get more intense. But can they save their son from the figure that stands in the darkness watching their every move?
Note The following will contain spoilers
The plot of Insidious is really nothing to get too excited about. It is pretty good though and about as strong as I suspected it would be. There is nothing fancy to this plot and it is very steady throughout. I did have one problem with it, in that it seemed to lose it's way in the second half of the film. The first half, as you may expect follows the same formula as most other supernatural horror movies. It is dedicated to setting up the thrills that will come at us thick and fast in the later half of that movie. In that respect, I think that insidious is a quiet success in the first portions of the movie. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely enough scares to get you clinging to the edge of your seat and biting on your nails in there too but I did feel that the plot failed to keep up the momentum later on in the movie. It could be that the director felt as though we needed more scares in the later half and the plot needed to be the things that was sacrificed to make way for that. God knows. However, it should not detract from a movie that really manages to deliver the scares that we all went to see, even if it takes a wicked turn later on in the movie.
Honestly, I felt as though it was a little far-fetched. The great thing about films like Paranormal Activity and [REC] was that it didn't need to give giving us frights every 4 or 5 minutes to keep us involved and that is where I think Insidious could have done better. Towards the end of the movie, you could see that they wanted to wrap everything up and were giving us a little much, in my honest opinion. When you consider that Paranormal Activity was able to give us scares on the same level without every showing us the anonymous intruder in the house, I thought that Insidious could have done a little more to keep the mystery and intrigue going for longer. Still, a movie like this shouldn't really be judged on it's plot...
It should be judged on how often it gets you screaming like a little girl, right? Thankfully for Insidious, it got me out of my chair on more than a few occasions. I constantly found myself putting distance between myself and the screen. I eventually had to pull out the headphones because the experience was just a little daunting for that sort of environment. For that reason, Insidious is a glorious success. It frequently treads the line of being frightening and positively horrific. It is soft in some places and unwaveringly rigid in others. To be honest, I felt as though it delivered the goods on more than one occasion.
The casting seemed a little methodical and there wasn't any character that forged a groove for themselves. Perhaps it was because things were constantly shifting and nothing in the movie seemed to be secure for a very long period of time. Still, I found no problems with the casting at all. Yes, it may have been played safe but it gets the job done and there is nothing in there that will detract from the overall enjoyment of the movie. A favourite of mine, in Patrick Wilson (formerly of Hard Candy fame) did have a great part to play and I would say that his character was the one that really shaped this movie, despite not being in the movie for all that long. Lin Shaye played a great part in the movie and it was nice to see someone of such quality in the movie, even if it was for a small period of time.
In summary, I would say that this is a decent movie. I enjoyed it simply because of the quality of the scares and that is what horror movies really should be judged on primarily. Of course you have to take into account all of the other factors but we all wanted to be frightened when we saw this movie and I was for the most part. Some pieces of film here will have you checking around the doors of hour house and leaving every light on when you go to sleep. It could have tried harder to keep the audience involved later in the movie and perhaps thought twice about becoming quite so supernaturally centric but it is something that I can forgive.
As I sat in my living room, thinking about which movie I should review you next and give you an insight into, my mind flew from different genre to different genre. Should I switch it up since my last review of Insidious with a light-hearted look at a comedy movie? Or, should I stick to what I love most and deliver another review of a spine-tingling slasher flick? In the end, I decided that a forgotten gem, buried under a mound of new and flashy films would be the best choice. Why? Who knows. However, having received a glowing recommendation from one of my friends about this movie, it actually made some sense to go ahead and find out what all the fuss was about. Unstoppable, as tedious as the premise may initially be, centres around an out of control train that jeopardises the lives of thousands as it careens towards the heavily populated towns scattered around it's main line. The unmanned missile threatens to end it's route with devastating effect as it's cargo threatens to ignite with any collision. But can the outstanding acts of two men save the state from one of the most calamitous events in Pennsylvania state history?
Note The following may contain spoilers.
As is customary with my reviews, I will be looking at the plot of this movie first and what a plot it is. Intentionally deceptive in nature, Unstoppable tends to polarise people with it's premise. If I were to invite you round to my humble abode to watch a film centred around trains, you would be excused for mistaking me for Sheldon Cooper. I accept that the premise of the movie ought to bore people to tears but those who write off this movie simply because they don't like the intended premise of this movie are set to lose out. I know that I denied myself the opportunity to watch this movie because I was sure that I could plot out the movie before I had even seen it. However, as you delve deeper into this film, you come to realise that any preconceptions you have about how the movie is going to pan out are far from the truth. At the core, yes this is a movie about trains and that may put people off. However, Unstoppable is so much more than that. Unstoppable tells the tale of Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington), a rail-road engineer that, alongside Will Colson (Chris Pine), takes matters into his own hands to stop the impending destruction of the lives of thousands. I cannot stress enough how ignorant it would be to simply write this movie off because of any notions you have about the film. I can categorically say that you will be happily proven wrong as this movie takes the Rick Island Line into your heart.
The casting of this movie is pretty much what anyone would expect it to be. Denzel Washington, whilst not being one of my favourite leading men in Hollywood is still pretty scintillating in this movie. Yes, he may be the most typecast actor in film but if you subscribe to the opinion that if it isn't broken, then don't fix it (like me) then you will have no problem with Washington leading the line in this flick. Playing the same semi-emotionless and rigidly stoic character that he seems to play in everything from The Book Of Eli to The Manchurian Candidate, Washington manages to, oddly, get a rise out of the viewer as his life troubles catch up to him when he stares his death in the face. Washington is unflappable throughout, as you might expect and that is why I am glad that Chris Pine was chosen to star alongside him in this film. Pine is a fantastically charismatic actor that manages to counteract out the behaviour of his co-star in Denzel Washington. I adored Pine in Star Trek and he can certainly add another feather to his cap with his performance in this movie. Perhaps the character that grows the most throughout the movie, Pine seems to be the most believable character also. His struggle against the problems that plague him outside of the cab shape his character and I appreciated that whole-heartedly.
However, one gripe I had with this movie was the lack of depth that the secondary characters seemed to have. Firstly, the estranged wife of Will is one of the least talked about characters in the movie, despite being one of the most important in in shaping the character of our hero. The same sentiment goes doubly for the daughters of Frank. Not only is the back-story of their distant relationship to their father not delved into further, it is barely mentioned after the first time he speaks to them. To me, it just seemed odd that they wouldn't explore those avenues a little. This is especially prevalent when you consider that the film barely scratched 100 minutes. For me, there was definitely scope for probing these issues a little more for a better pay-off in the end. That being said, it really is a minor gripe that not a lot of people will even care about as the movie tears on.
The pacing of this movie is utterly flawless. The plot development begins slowly, like a slowly accelerating train. However, just to complete this analogy, it soon picks up speed and momentum that can be compared to the train that barrels through serene location after location. And I guess that is the best way that I can sum up the pacing of this movie. As the danger increases, the sense of urgency and desperation matches it step for step and leaves you utterly engrossed in a movie that is certain to hold your attention throughout. Everything that is employed in this movie is intended to keep you riveted to the screen and it manages it with aplomb.
It is worth noting that it has been a long time since I have physically laughed with joy as the movie came to climax. Yes, it could have been slightly more played out and it could have been better explained in regards to the fate's of the characters but, I assure you, you will be completely satisfied by the eventual outcome of the film. As I felt a wide smile stretch across my features, I knew that I had been taken for a ride, similar to that of Locomotive 1206. I had been dragged down a track with no hope of being disconnected. I felt as though I had invested a lot into the eventual pay-off of this movie and it left me thankful that things worked out the way I wanted them to. It was so delectable that I could not have written it better myself.
When I think about this movie from start to finish, I struggle to find lapses in the plot or casting that will allow me to come off as being impartial but I simply cannot manage it. The feelings that encompassed my body won me over to the cause of this movie and I am telling you right now that I could ot recommend this movie any more.
The Town is probably Ben Affleck's best acting display since Good Will Hunting and his finest hour in directing, surpassing Gone Baby Gone with enough room to drive a bus into.
As I write this review, my mind flashes back through critical points in the movie that show me the promise that Ben Affleck has as a director. Gone Baby Gone was a great début for the aforementioned Affleck but I sincerely think that The Town is perhaps his finest work. In fact, in all truth, I sat in stunned silence as his name flashed up under a director's credit as the credits rolled. It must be said that Affleck shows much more promise and skill in The Town that a director of his experience probably should. His characterisation and direction is something that I would attribute more closely to a director with a wealth of experience behind him. Of course Ben Affleck is no rookie of the film business but the sheer directing talent that immediately hits me after watching this movie tells me that Ben Affleck has a huge career behind the camera when his acting career is over. Little nuances in his work as opposed to other directors that work in this genre really bring this movie to life and an all round feeling of satisfaction to the picture.
In The Town, Ben Affleck also stars as Doug, a warm-hearted criminal who's life has taken him to the extreme edge of what is accepted in Charleston, which is significantly more than any other part of the world, as the first lines of text of the movie dictates to us. Indeed, Doug is a criminal that specialises in the robbery of security vans and banks. His skills in doing so are expertly proved to us in the opening scene of the movie as Doug and his band of honed-skilled criminals take down a bank with minimal fuss and casualties. However, it is in this scene that more is said about Doug than the overall movie. Sure, the premise of the movie is starting to be build around this scene but what is more important is that the character of Doug is being built at a faster rate. Yes, he may be a criminal but he is a cut above your average run-of-the-mill criminal. He has a heart, he has feelings and although he is acting selfishly in this particular scene, he is still looking out for the victims involved. I know it still resembles polishing a turd but the characterisation in that scene becomes a pivotal point in the entire movie.
You see Affleck's character is someone who has been forced into this life. Bred into crime from a very young age, Doug doesn't know anything more satisfying that crime. His life is so monotonous in his daily grind that crime looks like an interesting prospect and although you may never find yourself in such a position, I don't think that it really takes the audience out of the movie by extending the realms of possibility. Rather, it seems to be a glowing representation of some social issues that plague the United States and beyond. I know that in Scotland crime is an intriguing prospect for many. When you consider that people have less disposable income than they would like at this time in particular, I would say that this movie comes at exactly the right time. Perhaps I am looking too far into it but I felt as though it definitely helped get me rooting for Affleck throughout the film.
His band of misfit renegades are not so lucky as to avoid my ire, however. Jem, played by Jeremy Renner, may be one of the most predictable characters in the history of film. By having such a successful first scene, Jem becomes the wildcard fo the group and you know that his actions may have something to do with the ultimate downfall of the group. I felt as though Affleck could have written this character better as he was always liable to do something that would lead to problems. You see it in so many movies that you begin to feel let down by how lazy it is. However, Renner did do what was required of him as Jem and was part of one of the most integral scenes in the entire movie. This scene, despite being one of the “quieter” and more gentle scenes in the movie, perhaps evoked the most positive reaction from me in the entire two hours of film. As Jem sits beside his former victim of the first bank job, his tattoo threatening to give the entire operation away, you begin to get more entangled in the movie than you might initially think. I know that I was begging for Jem to leave and for the safe environment of Doug and Claire to be put back together. My mind flashed through ways of getting rid of him and when a movie can do that, you know that you have something special.
As a piece of film, The Town is everything that you expect it to be and more. However, I would say that it really fits that bill more than most. It really does feel like every other crime thriller that you have seen and if you are going into this movie expecting to be blown away with original plot lines and unique situations, then you are mistaken. Ben Affleck, despite having a great sense of pacing and direction, really didn't try to break the mould with this movie. That being said, I did enjoy the film for what it was and that is a 2 hour crime movie that is laden with car-chases and Irish-American gangsters. That being said, it really does transcend other movies in the genre and it really entertained me throughout.
One thought continually sprung to my mind when I watched The Rite and that was that some people are likely be to torn apart by the movie because of it's content. One thing that must be said about The Rite, is that it definitely delivers a more sincere and refreshing look at the Christian belief system and exorcisms in general. I have seen my fair share of exorcism movies and I must admit that I generally enjoy them. If you acre to go as far back as The Exorcist, then there is definitely a trend being set in my mind that exorcism movies tend to strike a nerve with me. The Exorcist, The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Poltergeist, REC 2 and, dare I say, Beetlejuice, always seem to accomplish what they set out to do and perhaps that is why I tend to enjoy them.
The Rite, I should say, follows the trend of the aforementioned movies and perhaps builds on it. Unlike REC and Beetlejuice though, The Rite doesn't try to be anything else. It is neither a comedy or a movie that will constantly leave you wondering just what you are fighting against exactly. From the outset, you will quickly realise that The Rite concerns exorcisms, religion and faith. If you are hoping for anything else, then you are sorely mistaken.
However, that is not a reason to stray away from this movie. In fact, I often thought to myself that I enjoyed that familiarity and was thankful that The Rite didn't attempt to lure us in with scratching, frothing and a multitude of other “demonic” effects that seem to come with the territory. Rather, it seems to know what people expect of it and decides to go in the complete opposite direction. When you think of The Rite and the premise that you know is involved, I bet you think of heads twisting around and bodies contorting into impossible angles. However, The Rite is remarkably light in these categories and instead relies on fantastic acting to get it through. And what brilliant acting it was. This movie was initially recommended to me from someone who would watch Anthony Hopkins reading the dictionary and still give it a glowing review. As a horror movie legend, Hopkins really excited me in this film. His performance, as was pointed out to me, was exceptional but nothing more than I expect of him. Hopkins, effectively, plays two characters in The Rite and plays them both with outstanding conviction. As he usually does, Hopkins delivers a fantastic performance that will be the forever shining light of The Rite.
That being said, his supporting cast was pretty exceptional too. Colin O'Donoghue is fantastic and his performance really grips you from the very beginning. Without becoming too embroiled in religious debates, I tended to relate to the main character, portrayed by O'Donoghue. His scepticism of what he is supposed to believe is refreshing and it really was nice to see these sorts of movies explained from a very different point of view. Too often the exorcist formula is followed too rigorously and results in most of these movies becoming the same old thing. I guess that is why so little of them actually break the mould and become more successful than those who prefer to follow the age-old scenarios. When you think about it, how many exorcism movies can you name that I didn't? Precisely.
Nevertheless, the greatest strength of The Rite is how fresh it is. It doesn't cross the line of trying to be too unique. Rather, it adds a new spin to a category of film that has been rolling on for decades upon decades. It would have taken a huge effort to equal the success of The Exorcist or match the level of cultural significance of the aforementioned title. However, The Rite is better than I expected it to be and completely shattered all preconceived notions I had about this movie. I suppose that in that regard, The Rite is a tremendous success. It takes a sub-genre that is longing for a breath of fresh air and at least tries to give us something new. I fully appreciate that there is not much room left in this sub-genre but whatever pocket of originality is remaining, The Rite seems to find it.
Let me say this though, this movie is not about thrills and spills. It is not about seeing a victim struggle against the demon that possesses their mortal vessel. It is about solid acting that will grip you throughout. Expect this film to surprise you as it makes decisions that possibly saved the movie. The decision, for instance, not to turn this film into a love story was one that continually surprised me but impressed me thoroughly. Even as the credits rolled at the conclusion of the title, I suspected that a blossoming romance was about to unfold. Perhaps it is that Hollywood movies seem to be incomplete without a love story but it seems to be drilled into my head. Still, it was a smart decision and one that I really appreciated.
The Rite, in conclusion, is not the equal of The Exorcist but it does delver the good and was a movie that most people will enjoy. The choices made within the context of the movie were smart the cast really brings the story to life. Would I have preferred some more devastation? Perhaps. But for what it was, The Rite is a decent effort that I suspect you will appreciate as you watch.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING WILL CONTAIN SOME MINOR SPOILERS!
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Story by: Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer
Screenplay by: Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, January Jones
Having seen the trailer for X-Men: First Class some time ago my expectations remained rather shaky. It looked okay but I still wasn't convinced. Having been to see the movie I can say it's much better than I expected and comes damn close to equalling the spectacular X2. First Class is a story about three men. Very much a The Good, the Bad and the Ugly scenario with Charles Xavier representing Good, Sebastian Shaw as Bad and Erik Lehnsherr as the Ugly. One lives in the upmost comfort, one in a pit of despair and the other with an apocalyptic vision, there is already a built in conflict between the three main lead male characters. All three are played well with James McAvoy working well as the young Xavier, but it's really Fassbender and Bacon who excel in their roles. Bacon is creepy and sadistic as Shaw, a mutant who may have been hanging around with the Nazi's a wee bit too much and Fassbender plays the vulnerable, damaged but immensely powerful Erik Lehnsherr (soon to be Magneto). Both men are show stealers and there is real chemistry between them as there is between McAvoy and Fassbender.
The rest of the cast brings some solid displays to the screen particularly Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique who is very well used in this film. Something that too needs to be complimented is the script. It's witty, but also clever and manages to create a variety of well thought out scenarios without forcing them upon us. The film manages to stay true to the film series that has already been established and at the same time, create its own little spot in this film universe. It's a well thought out plot and also puts a unique twist on events from the comics (there's one particular reference in the very last scene which pleased me to no end as a comic fanatic). Theres a bunch of references to other characters and events in the X-Men series and two rather surprising cameo appearances (one which many won't get, though the other is obvious and pretty freaking funny).
There are also problems for this film to. For one, no Stan Lee is upsetting, two they change Moira MacTaggert from Scottish to American and Banshee gets the same treatment which annoys me personally. There's also a big problem that is we're given more time and more of a reason to invest into one of the two leads than the other and it really effects a major development late on in the film. However, all in all X-Men: First Class is a welcome pick-up for the series following the dire X-Men: The Last Stand and Wolverine spin-off. It's not just a good comic book movie, but a good movie period.
X-Men: First Class (2011) 8/10- First Class took me by surprise, because I had zero expectations for this film, but X-Men: First Class isnt just a good X-Men flick, its a good film all around. The cast here was excellent, and I was really impressed by Michael Fassbender. He was superb as Magneto. I think his performance was the highlight of this film. McAvoy did a fine job as Professor Charles Xavier, and the philosophical verbal duels between Xavier and Erik were so fun to watch. Also, January Jones(Emma Frost) and Kevin Bacon (Sebastian Shaw) were awesome as two of the main villains here. Bacon was charismatic, but he also had a dark sense of humor. Jones was this seductive beauty who had a dark side, and she was one of the better sidekick villains Ive seen on-screen. Although, it was weird to see an English speaking version of Moira MacTaggert .Still, this X-Men film is filled with action, good acting, humor, and suspense. First Class takes you back to how it all began, and X-Men fans should enjoy this one.
The Hangover Part II (2011) 5/10- Effective and safe. These are the two words I would use to describe The Hangover Part II. Sure, the gang is in Bangkok and Thailand this time around, but when it comes to the story, they stick to the SAME exact formula. The humor is a lot more vulgar and darker in this film, and I was really surprised at how far they went with some of the comedy in this film, especially the stuff involving Stu. Still, The Hangover II does offer a good amount of laughs, and Galifianakis is the most funny character again here, but I was disappointed by the story. They really played it safe, because besides Bangkok and a few new characters, this film really doesnt bring anything fresh to the table. Fans of The Hangover should enjoy this one, but I wasnt too impressed by this film.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) 5/10- There are three reasons why I didnt want to hate this film:
1. Jack Sparrow- As always, Johnny Depp delivered with this character. He was easily the most entertaining character in this film, and he did provide some hilarious moments.
2. Blackbeard (Ian McShane)- McShane did a fantastic job as the villain here. He had this dark sense of humor, and I think it really worked well here. McShane had this strong presence, and I would have to pick him as my favorite villain in this series.
3. Angelica (Penelope Cruz)- Cruz was attractive, but she could also be the tough chick who would ram a sword into your into your gut at any time. Cruz was seductive and fierce, and I hope Angelica can make a comeback in this series.
Still, I had a real hard time getting into this. On Stranger Tides just seemed to go through the motions most of the time. The battle scenes in this film werent bad, but they didnt manage to excite me. The bulk of the swordfights just felt so ordinary. I dont think this was as bad as At Worlds End, but On Stranger Tides wasnt anything to remember. Also, I really enjoyed how they used the mermaids in this film. They were these exotic beauties, but they also had a viscous side, as they attacked their gullible male victims. Oh, and speaking of the Mermaids .
Why in the fuck did the trapped mermaid drag Phillip down into the depths of the ocean??? Was she trying to heal him? Or was she going to kill him? The captive mermaid was upset, because she felt Phillip used her to capture her precious tears( mermaid tears are needed for the Fountain Of Youth ritual) but Phillip returned to rescue her, so did she forgive him? This is something that drove me nuts, because this occurred towards the very end, and all I could say was, thats it?
Fast Five (2011) 7/10- I must admit, Fast Five took me by surprise. I thought I would hate this, because Im not a car fanatic (mainly because I hate driving) and Ive never been too crazy about this film series, but Fast Five is filled with adrenaline, and this can be a very entertaining film. The acting is decent enough, the action is good, and the car chases are full of excitement. Yeah, this one does have its fair share of cliché moments, and there is one loop hole at the very end that made me scratch my head and say, Huh? How did that happen? And the final chase scene does go over the top, but I still enjoyed this film. Fast Five is a fun film, and I had blast as I watched this one. Also, as far as the acting goes, I think The Rock was the highlight of this one. He was this tough and mean Diplomatic Security Service agent, and Rock managed to bring a good amount of intensity to this character. Johnson had the PERFECT chiseled look for this character, and Hobbs was a very entertaining throughout this film. This wasnt an Oscar worthy performance by Johnson, but he did do a fine job in this film.
Everything Must Go (2011) 7/10- Michael Pena is popping up in everything this year! Is there a role he wont turn down? Anyway, Will Ferrell plays a depressed alcoholic who makes a lot of mistakes in this film, and his character was the highlight of this movie. Ferrell is the bumbling fuck-up who drowns himself in self pity. There are times where I wanted to feel bad for his character, but there were times where I wanted Ferrell to stop being such a cry baby. Ferrells problems with alcohol were put to the test a couple of times in this film, and there were times where I was rooting for him to get his shit together. Theres a lot of talking in this film, and there arent too many exciting moments, but Everything Must Go features a good amount of interesting characters. Rebecca Hall did a fine job here. She was the friendly neighbor who wanted to help Ferrell straighten out his life. The relationship between Ferrell and Hall takes a bad turn towards the end, and Hall did a great job of showing some real anger, as she blasted Ferrell for his opinions about life. Theres a nice shock at the end of this one, and the depressing surprise was a nice way to close out this film.
Priest (2011) 4/10- Paul Bettany is one of those guys who I want to like, but he has too many shitty and mediocre films on his record. Priest does have a good amount of action, and a lot of the fight scenes are entertaining, but Priest just felt so average. The Priests are supposed to be these highly skilled and fierce vampire hunters, but Bettany and Maggie Q (Priestess) are the only Priests in this film who live up to the great reputation. This film was as predictable as predictable can be, and I could see everything coming as this film progressed. The story was fairly decent here, but theres something about the ending that really annoyed me .
Lucy finally learns Bettany is her real Father (Lucy was raised by Bettanys brother, because Bettany had to make many sacrifices to live the lifestyle of a Priest, and raising a daughter wasnt something he could do.) This big announcement comes before the final battle. After Lucy and Bettany survive the battle, Lucy has a happy reunion with her boyfriend??? I think this happy reunion shouldve occurred with her long lost Father. The man just saved your life, and he IS your Father, so why not enjoy the special moment with him? I thought this was HUGE botch at the end.
Karl Urban did a fine job as the main villain here, but I thought this would be a little better, so this was a letdown for me.
Thor (2011) 6/10- This is just one of those films that are hard to complain about, because Thor delivers. The acting is solid here, the special effects looked good, and I was hooked into this one from the start to finish. Chris Hemsworth didnt do a bad job with the Thor character. He had the perfect look, he was funny, and he did have his moments as a bad ass. Thor is packed with plenty of action, but this one does have its cheesy moments. The relationship between Thor and Natalie Portmans character is one prime example. I knew these two would eventually fall in love, because you could see it coming from a mile away. Still, I just couldnt get into it, because the connection between these two felt so random and rushed. With all that said, Thor is still a pretty solid film, and this one did help boost my excitement for The Avengers. Also, keep watching after the credits, because they do show some extra footage.
Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night (2011) 1/10- Ugh, heres another film I really wanted to like, but Dylan Dog was so disappointing. Almost every character here is so dull and boring. Their personalities are just so uninteresting. Brandon Routh was okay as the lead man here, but his performance wasnt anything memorable. Sam Hunnigton (Dylans assistant and best friend who turns into a zombie) had the only character who truly stood out here, but Marcus just annoyed the shit out of me most of the time. All of his humor felt so forced. He wasnt funny, and there were times where I was rooting for him to be killed off. Yeah, he was THAT annoying. Although, Kurt Angle wasnt a bad werewolf here. He was mean and he did bring a good amount of intensity, but there were times where I felt like I was watching Kurt Angle the TNA wrestler, because he didnt show me any thing special as an actor. The story for this one is also pretty lame. It just drags along, and I couldnt get into the mystery here. This film just felt like it was going through the motions the entire time. You can see almost everything coming, and this can become tiresome after a while. They do throw in a nice little twist at the end, but it wasnt enough to save this one.
Arthur (2011) 6/10- This was a lot better than I thought it would be. Russell Brand plays a childish and immature spoiled brat who is always used to getting his way, but as time goes on in this film, he realizes he must grow up and become a man. Its a nice story, and it does have its touching moments. Brand does go over the top most of the time, but his character does have some very funny moments. Jenifer Garner did an awesome job, as she played this cold and manipulative bitch. Nick Nolte was also funny here. He was a hard ass, and he did play the strict father role pretty well. But Helen Mirren really stole the show here. She could be this sweet old nanny at times, and her character also had a nice sense of humor. Mirren was Brands mentor/Mother figure in the film, and the relationship between these two was so fun to watch. Although, the ending did bother me a little bit ..
Towards the end of the film, Brand finally realizes he wants to be a man. He walks away from the sham marriage with Garner, and he decides to pursue his real love interest, Naomi. But Naomi is still pissed off about Brands lies, so she rejects him. Well, the timeline progresses a little bit, and Brand decides to give Naomi one final shot. He gives a big speech, while Naomi is reading one of her childrens books, and of course, Naomi forgives him. The two ride off in a Batmobile, and they live happily ever after. WHY DO THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO DO THIS!?!?! I cant count the number of times Ive seen a love story end with the guy delivering the big speech to win the girl back. Its become so redundant over the years, and I do get tired of seeing it.
Still, Arthur is pretty entertaining, and this film does have its funny moments.
Scream 4 (2011) 9/10- I thought Scream 4 was AWESOME. The original Scream film will always be my favorite film in the series, but I really did enjoy this one. This film managed to entertain me, because there were a good amount of spook moments, and the humor here was GREAT. Although, Im still on the fence about the big twist at the end .
When Charlie was revealed as the first Ghostface killer, I did kind of scratch my head. Okay, I get it. Youre pissed off at the hot chick, because she ignored you throughout high school, but youre going to get revenge by orchestrating this elaborate plan to kill her? His motivations did seem kind of far fetched to me. But seeing Jill be revealed as the second killer really did shock me. Jill was completely nuts, and she was jealous of Sidneys fame. I never wouldve thought Sids cousin was one of the killers, because I was fooled throughout this entire film. I seriously thought Deputy Judy and Trevor were the killers. The ending was kind of weird to me, but the big twist really did shock me. Oh, and WHY IN THE FUCK DID KIRBY HAVE TO DIE!?!?! She was funny, a horror movie buff, and she was hot! Charlie was the perfect woman. I was so pissed when Charlie stabbed her in the gut. I actually threw what was left of my popcorn on the ground.
Still, I really enjoyed Scream 4. There were times where I was legitimately spooked, there was some good tension towards the end, and some of the kills here were really gruesome.
Insidious (2011) 9/10- I thought Insidious would be another generic and shitty PG-13 horror flick, but I was wrong. The acting is decent enough, the story is pretty solid, and they do throw a good amount of spook moments at you. Insidious is filled with some great tension, and the suspense really picks up towards the end. Also, theres a nice twist at the very end of this film. The twist is shocking, and I LOVED how they ended this film. The ending for Insidious left me wanting more, and I wouldnt mind watching this one again.
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) 7/10- Matthew McConaughey really baffles me sometimes. Hes not a bad actor, but he can star in sooo many bad/shitty films, but he could also surprise you every now and then. Anyway, The Lincoln Lawyer is a very solid film. The story here is pretty predictable. They try to throw some surprise at you, but you can always tell whats going to happen, and I knew they were going to go with the happy ending here. Still, I really enjoyed The Lincoln Lawyer. McConaughey plays this sleazy lawyer who is driven by money. He doesnt care if his clients are guilty or not. He just wants the money. But McConaughey changes his outlook on life, when Ryan Philipe(his most recent and troubled client) comes along. McConaughey did an amazing job with this character. At first, I wanted to hate this sleazy money driven lawyer, but you start to fell sorry for McConaugheys character as the film progress, because he does try to change, and he does realize the error of his ways. This film has a solid cast, and the story can be predictable, but I think it was done well here.
Your Highness (2011) 5/10- This wasnt as good as I thought it would be, but Your Highness did make me laugh. James Franco, Natalie Portman, and Danny McBride go on this wild and whacky adventure, and there are some good laughs here and there. This medieval stoner flick does have its creepy and gross moments, but they didnt bother me too much. McBride is HILIRAOIUS in this film, and Natalie Portman does a good job as the beautiful loner who can knock your teeth down your throat. But there were times where I had troubling buying James Francos character. Hes supposed to be the bad ass, but there where times where he just came off as this wimpy pretty boy, and his performance was kind of lazy.
Sucker Punch (2011) 1/10- What the fuck Zack Snyder? Seriously, what were you trying to accomplish here?!?! I cant believe Im going to say this, but I think a film like Sucker Punch wouldve been better suited for Michael Bay. Think about it, hot women wearing skimpy clothes, flashy action scenes, and explosions. All of these things are right up Michael Bays alley. Anyway, this was a real disappointment for me. I actually had high hopes for Sucker Punch, but I could never get into this one. The story here was pretty messy. I understand Babydoll (Emily Browning) had to use her imagination to help her escape from the evil clutches of the insane asylum, but all of the fantasy adventures here were sooooo over the top and ridiculous. The girls have to fight off entire armies, gigantic samurais, and an overweight cook. I know Babydoll is imaging all of this stuff, but everything just goes way over the top here, and I hard time buying into a lot of the stuff in this film. As far as the story goes, Sucker Punch tried to be clever, but I couldnt get into it. Sucker Punch tries to be this explosive action film, with a unique story, but I thought this one failed miserably. Also, the ending was a big disappointment. It just felt so underwhelming. The acting is pretty mediocre here, but Sucker Punch does feature some cool special effects, and the cinematography is good. Still, this film did manage to upset me. Youll probably enjoy this one if you just want to see a bunch of hot and young women who wear revealing clothing shot guns and destroy everything in their path, as they go on a wild and crazy adventure, but I wouldnt want to watch Sucker Punch again.
Source Code (2011) 8/10- I really enjoyed this one. Source Code was very entertaining, and there were a nice amount of twists and turns towards the end. The special effects are pretty good, and Source Code does have a good amount of suspense. Jake Gyllenhaal did a good job with the lead role, and the rest of the acting was pretty solid here. Also, Michele Monaghan really surprised me here. She was gorgeous, and she did deliver a solid performance, and I do think she did a good job as the mystery woman on the train. The story for this film does have its cheesy moments. Gyllenhaal develops some feelings for Monaghans character, and the attraction between these two just felt so random, but Source Code doesnt go too overboard with the clichés.
Red Ridding Hood (2011) 2/10- I tried to get into this, I really did, but I just couldnt. When it comes to the who is the werewolf? mystery, they do throw a nice set of curveballs at you, and it is kind of hard to figure out who the viscous beast is, so there is some suspense here, but overall, this was a very weak film. There arent too many real spook moments here, and this film can be pretty boring at times. Gary Oldman was awesome here, and Amanda Seyfried was decent as the lead, but I thought the rest of the acting was just terrible. Also, this film does have a Twilight-like love triangle story, and it just drove me nuts sometimes. I like Amanda Seyfried, and I did have some hope for this film, but Red Riding Hood can be very dull at times, and the big showdown at the end is such a disappointment. Oh, and ever since I was kid, theres always been one thing that bothers me about the tale of Red Riding Hood .If youre being stalked by a FUCKING WOLF then why in the hell would want to wear a bright red hooded cape??????? Shouldnt you try to be more discreet? Ugh, this is something thats bothered me for years, and Ive never been able to get over it.
No Strings Attached (2011) 4/10- Heres another generic and predictable romantic comedy. Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman are attracted to each other, so they become sex friends, and they promise to honor the ill fated friends with benefits agreement. Of course, feelings come into play, theres a big speech towards the end, and you can probably figure out how this one ends. For the most part, I think No Strings Attached worked well. Yeah, the story wasnt anything special, and the majority of the acting really wasnt bad, but Ashton Kutcher drags this one down. He was terrible as usual, and I dont know how this man is STILL able to find work in Hollywood. He cant act, hes not funny, and he has zero personality. I really wish Kutcher would fuck off once and for all.
Husk (2011) 6/10- The ending is what really killed this film for me. I thought it was so fucking bad, and the ending is the main reason why I didnt want to give this film a much higher rating. They did such a great job of building the suspense, as the remaining victims tried to escape the deadly cornfield and the scarecrow zombies, but the ending was so sudden, and they dont give you any clues or bits of information to make you think about what couldve happened. This is something that pissed me off so much. The ending drove me nuts, but overall, I thought Husk was a nice little horror flick. There are a nice amount of scares here, the tension is excellent, and some of the violence in this film is really gruesome. The story is something mysterious, and I became more and more interested as the mystery unraveled. Again, my only problem with this film is the ending, and whoever wrote it can go fuck themselves.
Street Kings 2: Motor City (2011) 1/10- Well, this was a straight-to-video release, so I guess I couldnt expect anything good. I actually liked the first Street Kings film, but this one was just plain bad. The acting in this one is mediocre at best, and the story is just awful. You can tell who the killer is pretty early on, and then this film turns into one of those I know you did it, but I have to find more proof first scenarios. This can be so tedious and annoying, and I couldnt wait for this film to end. Shawn Hatosys character does suffer a tragic and devastating loss at the very end of this one, but this heartbreaking loss wasnt enough to save this film. This death was emotional and shocking, but I think this came way too late, because Motor City was already in the shitter by the time this happened. Motor City painfully goes through the motions, and this another stinker on Ray Liottas track record. I still cant believe this is the same guy who starred in Goodfellas. I guess he was just a one trick pony, but then again, Joe Pesci really stole the show in that film.
Teeth (2007) 7/10- So this is the film where a young womans vagina has teeth that destroy any dangerous male intruders? Well, this was VERY hard to watch at times, and if youve ever read the plot summary for this one, then youll know why. The story here is VERY bizarre, but Teeth is filled with a good amount of creepy and disturbing moments, and there is some good humor here. Jess Weixlers character is someone who was shy and she did have this innocence about her, but towards the very end of the film, her character becomes a lot more darker, and Dawn starts to use the teeth as a weapon. Dawns transformation was unreal. At first, shes this nice young woman who you want to feel sorry for, but then she turns into this angry and vengeful person. The kills are pretty disgusting in this film, and some of them did make me cringe. Teeth starts out very slow, but this film does get better as time goes on.
The Hearse (1980) 1/10- I really wanted to like this film, but The Hearse just bored the shit out of me. The acting is pretty mediocre, there arent any real spook moments in this one, and this film just drags along most of the time. Also, the ending was VERY lame. The story for The Hearse isnt bad, but I just couldnt get into this. This was just a very underwhelming and weak film.
Janky Promoters (2009) 0/10- This was fucking terrible. I like Mike Epps, but Janky Promoters isnt funny. I tried to laugh during this film, but I just couldnt. All of the humor here is so corny, and the majority of the jokes feel so forced. Also, the ending is really, really stupid. If youre a fan of Young Jeezy, then you might enjoy Janky Promoters, but I couldnt stop facepalming as I watched this one.
John Carpenters Vampires: Los Muertos (2002) 1/10- The story is okay in this one, but Los Muertos is a very weak film. The acting is mediocre, and all of the characters are pretty bland when it comes to personality. Also, I couldnt buy Jon Bon Jovi as the lead man. He wasnt convincing at all. He was supposed be this bad ass vampire killer, but I didnt see that. I saw a loser who looked like a bum. The action scenes were pretty underwhelming, and the big showdown at the very end was such a disappointment. Los Muertos is dull most of the time, and I couldnt wait for this one to end.
D.E.B.S (2004) 3/10- D.E.B.S is supposed to be a campy film, but this one just didnt do it for me. The D.E.B.S are supposed to be this fierce and tough fighting force, but I just saw a group of young and goofy women. I know, I know, thats supposed to be the joke but I just couldnt get into it. Megan Good is supposed to be the tough girl of the group, but I had hard time buying her character. Sara Foster is supposed to be the crown jewel of the D.E.B.S(the all female fighting force) but I could never buy into her character. She was supposed to be the best of the best, but she just comes off as this ditzy and clumsy person. Also, she wasnt a good choice for the lead role in this film, because there were times were here acting was REALLY bad, and she isnt the most attractive female lead. There are a few laughs here and there, but D.E.B.S fails to deliver. Fosters character begins to fall in love with Lucy Diamond, and throughout the film, she struggles with her decision to do the right thing. Foster was trying to find herself, but her struggle is very uninteresting, and I could tell how this one was going to end. They try to throw some twists at you, but I always knew Fosters character would follow her heart. The action scenes are pretty horrible, and this film doesnt have a good flow to it. Jordana Brewster is gorgeous here, and I did enjoy her as the super villain Lucy Diamond. In fact, Brewsters character was the only one who I could get into when I was watching this, because she did have some nice comedy moments. This film does have a nice set of attractive women, but D.E.B.S was a real disappointment for me. If you just want to see a bunch of attractive women(minus Foster, because I thought she was borderline hideous) who wear skimpy schoolgirl outfits act out a bunch of shitty action scenes, then you might enjoy this.
The Last Resort (2009) 0/10- A group of women are kidnapped while on a vacation/bachelorette party in Mexico. The women wind up in some spooky old abandoned haunted town, and one of the friends who didnt make the doomed trip tries to rescue them. Yeah, I thought this was God awful. The acting here is fucking HORRIBLE, and this film has a nice set of stupid characters. Also, the story here is pretty lame, and there isnt any real tension here. I thought The Last Resort could be a nice little horror flick, but this film was garbage.
The Gate (1987) 7/10- I didnt know how to feel as I watched this film. There were times where I felt like I was watching a goofy comedy, but this film does become a lot more darker and creepier as time goes on, but the special effects do look very cheesy. Although, the suspense picks up a lot, as a group of scared and young kids try to destroy a menacing evil force. The acting is pretty solid here, the story is decent, and this film can be spooky.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008) 9/10- I just love how this film documented Buttons emotional journey in life. Buttons journey is filled with joyous moments and triumphs, but the colorful journey does become bittersweet as time goes on. Benjamin Button had to deal with so many tragic deaths and heartbreaks. Pitts character aged in reverse, so he could never truly relate to anyone. Brad Pitts character was alone in the world as this film came to an end, and you wanted to feel for Pitts character, because he became this lonely and confused young man. The acting is damn good here, and David Fincher delivers again as the director for this one.
127 Hours (2010) 9/10- Wow. James Franco blew me away with his marvelous performance here. He did such a great job of showing raw emotion, and I did want to feel sorry for this rebel loner towards the very end of the film, especially when he had to make the tough life or death decision. James Franco really carries this film, because you wont see him interact with too many other people, and his performance is definitely worth watching here. Ive always thought of Franco as a comedy guy, but this film showed me he can do something different, and he can do it at a high level.
Gothic (1986) 10/10- Gothic is a tale about the VERY weird night Mary Shelly and her poet brother spend in Lord Byrons mansion. Supposedly, this strange and bizarre night inspired Shelly to write Frankenstein. This film doesnt have too many spook moments, but Gothic does have this chilling feel, and there are some genuinely creepy moments in this film. The dark cinematography in this film is great, and the crazy ending here is done so well. The acting is really good in this film, and the majority of the characters here have bizarre personalities. Some of them are evil, some of them are sick and twisted, some are insane, and some of them are sweet and innocent. The characters are the highlight of this film, and each one has a good amount of depth.
Aaah! Zombies!!/Wasting Away (2007) 7/10- Aaah! Zombies! Does have its funny moments. The story here is pretty unique, because this film shows you how humans deal with the zombie transformation. You get to see the film through the eyes of the zombies, as they to try to survive the extermination. Also, this one does have a nice set of entertaining characters. This zombie film offers you something different, and there are a good amount of bloody and gory moments here. The acting is pretty mediocre, but it doesnt drag this film down.
The Slaughter (2006) 0/10- My God this was awful. The Slaughter was a train wreck from beginning to end. A group of college kids make some mistakes, as they try to make money by cleaning up an old and abandoned haunted house. They accidentally resurrect an evil female demon, and the horror begins. There were some gruesome and creative kills here, but the story takes a VERY weird turn towards the end of the film ..
The evil female demon begins to slaughter the college kids one by one, and then .the dead college kids are brought back to life as zombies???? Thats right. The Slaughter starts out as a spooky ghost story, but then this one seemingly turns into a zombie flick towards the end, as the demon uses the flesh eating monsters to attack the remaining survivors. There was a point where I didnt know what I was watching. The story became such a clusterfuck, and there were times where I wanted to punch a hole through my TV screen.
Also, the acting here was fucking atrocious. The acting from almost everyone here is noticeably bad, and the terrible performances really drag this film down. There are also times where this film doesnt take it self too seriously, and thats a real problem. I understand there has to be some comic relief, but a lot of the comedy here came at the wrong time, and it just made this movie look fucking ridiculous. They try to throw in a shocking twist at the end of this one, but it wasnt that shocking, and it was kind of lame. I really hated The Slaughter, and I dont know what they were trying to accomplish here. Ill probably never find out, because theres no chance in hell Ill watch this again. I want to forget I ever saw this film.
Knight & Day (2010) 3/10- I was on the fence about this one. Knight & Day wasnt that bad, but this film also wasnt that good. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz do have charming characters, and they are very likable here. Although, the relationship between these two is kind of ridiculous. Cruise is this crafty and witty spy, and Diaz is the innocent woman who gets caught up in a serious and deadly situation. Diaz is reluctant to trust Cruise at first, but she eventually falls in love with him? I cant stand stories like this, because they can feel so formulaic and predictable, and the premise for this one is kind of silly. Knight & Day can be fun, but the story really drove me nuts here.
The Abandoned (2006) 8/10- I didnt expect too much from this one, but The Abandoned took me by surprise. The acting is decent here, but I really enjoyed the story. The Abandoned is mysterious, and the story will keep you guessing until the very end. There are a few spook moments here and there, the tension in this film is great, and there are a couple of gruesome moments that made me cringe. Also, The Abandoned does feature a good amount of suspense. This is a good horror flick, and Im happy I took the time to watch this.
Stone (2010) 5/10- Good acting really saved this film, because the story here was kind of shitty. The story is VERY uninteresting, and it just drags along during the film. Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich try to test the morality of Robert De Niros character, and as the film comes to a close, De Niro becomes another lost soul, and he begins to question his life. I understand Edward Norton is supposed to be this inmate who wants to change his life, and along the way, he runs into a few speed bumps, but the struggle Nortons character had to go through to find himself didnt do it for me. Stone was supposed to be this troubled man who wanted to change, but he still displays some of the same mannerisms towards the end. Stones journey just felt so pointless, because I really didnt see the change in him. Still, the acting was pretty good here, and everyone from the main cast gave a fine performance. Mila Jovovich really surprised me here. She was this trashy and manipulative ****e, and she really nailed this character. I dont think this was an Oscar worthy performance, but she did do one hell of a job in this film.
The Descent Part II (2009) 8/10- YES! YES! YES! I thought this film wouldnt be as a good as the first one, but I was horribly wrong. The Descent 2 still gives you a good amount of scares, and the tension is still there. There were a lot more attacks from the creatures in this one, and all of the deaths in this film were pretty gruesome and violent, so this one does offer some nice cringing moments. And there is one surprise I really enjoyed ..
JUNO IS STILL ALIVE!!! At the end of the first film, Sarah drove a pickaxe into Junos leg. Sarah had a lot of bitter feelings towards Juno, and crippling Juno provided a distraction. This distraction helped her escape from the cave. Towards the end of this film, Juno suffers a fatal wound from one of the creatures. Sarah and Juno forgive each other, and they put their troubled past behind them. As the creatures prepare to destroy the remaining survivors, Sarah screams out loud to lure the creatures towards her and the dying Juno(the creatures are blind, so they can only locate their victims by sound). Sarah sacrifices herself, and this allows Elen (one of the new cast members) to escape. As Elen reaches the outside, she tries to call for help, but Ed (another new cast member) smacks her in the face with a shovel. Ed drags Elens unconscious body to one of the cave entrances, and as the film ends, a creature reaches for her. I LOVED this ending, and I wouldnt mind watching another Descent film.
The Descent 2 delivers, and I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
Penny Dreadful (2006) 1/10- Yeah, I was prepared to shit on this film during the early stages. So Penny (Rachel Miner) and Orianna (Mimi Rogers) are driving along on a remote mountain road, and all of the sudden, they hit a pedestrian! This pedestrian turns out to be a creepy hitchhiker, and guess what Orianna decided to give this person a ride??? Sure, that makes perfect sense. Lets pick up the creepy hitchhiker whos trying to catch a ride in the middle of nowhere. Man, I hate stupid characters like this. Anyway, so after the two main characters decided to give the hitchhiker a ride, they end up with a flat tire(that was caused by the hitchhiker) and the terror begins. Im sorry, but if you give some creepy hitchhiker a ride, then you deserve to die. Penny is traumatized by a car accident that killed her parents when she was younger, so she always freaks out when shes inside a car, and guess what .shes trapped inside a car for the bulk of this film! There arent any real spook moments in this film, and Rachel Minners acting goes way over the top sometimes. They try to sell you terror through claustrophobia here (Penny being trapped inside the car) but it really doesnt work. I didnt feel the tension, and the ending here is kind of lame, because you can see it coming.
Little Children (2006) 9/10- Kate Winslet is a favorite of mine, and she is the main reason why I decided to watch this. I dont think she gave her best performance here, but she was solid enough in this film. Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson are both married, and they live boring stay-at-home lives where they take care of their children. They develop some feelings for each other, and they decide to have a joyous affair. Winslet and Wilson wanted to go all the way with their secret relationship, but a freak accident puts their fantasy life on hold. The acting in this film was damn good. Winslet and Wilson delivered with the leading performances, and I really enjoyed the story here. Sarah Pierce (Winslet) and Brad Adamson (Wilson) wanted a spark in their boring and dull lives, and they were able to find the spark during their affair. They were finally happy during this relationship, but towards the end, these characters realized they made a terrible mistake. They returned to their normal lives. The thought of abandoning their loved ones was too much to take, so they decided to do the right thing. I also enjoyed the narrating in this film. The narrating for Little Children is a nice touch, because the narrator helps paint a clearer picture of whats going on in the film. Although, Jackie Earle Haleys character is very disturbing and disgusting in this film. Haley plays a pervert who served time for exposing himself to a minor, and there are times where his character is genuinely creepy, and I did feel uncomfortable as I watched some of the scenes that involved his character.
Blue Valentine (2010) 8/10- Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling received a lot of Oscar buzz for their performances in this film, and this is one of the reasons why I wanted to give this one a chance. For the most part, I thought Williams did a good job here. She had her bland moments, but she did give a strong overall performance, and there were times where she did a great job of showing some raw emotion. Gosling could be witty and funny, but there were times where he could be this angry and bitter man, and he was a real douche bag sometimes. Blue Valentine shows the ups and downs of married life, and I really enjoyed the clever editing here. You get to the see the cheery moments of the relationship between Gosling and Williams as they fall in love, but then this film quickly transitions to the present struggles of their marriage. The editing for this film takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, and this is one of the highlights of this film. Also, the ending is very bittersweet. I actually enjoyed this, because they dont decide to throw the they live happily ever after crap at you here.
Near Dark (1987) 10/10- Fantastic. This isnt your typical vampire film. There are some bloody and gruesome moments in this one, and this one does feature some cool scares, but I really enjoyed the story here. Caleb never was truly comfortable with living the vampire lifestyle, but there is a point in this movie where he feels accepted by the outlaw vampire clan. He thought he was one of them but towards the end of the film, he realizes how important his real family is. The love story between Mae and Caleb was also done well. Mae wanted a companion, but shes a vampire, so of course finding someone wont be easy. There are many struggles in this relationship throughout the film, but the cheesy ending to this love story did bother me a little bit. Still, I loved Near Dark. There were times were this film was chilling, there are some funny moments in this one, the love story was touching, and this story puts a unique twist on vampire films. Also, Lance Henriksen was awesome as the leader of the vampire clan here. He was the guy who everyone had to answer to, and he did have this commanding presence. He was witty, but there were times where he could be cold and mean. Near Dark is the type of movie I can watch over and over again, because this is a real treat.
The Rich Mans Wife (1996) 6/10- Peter Greene. He IS the main reason why this film didnt completely suck. He was this sick and demented psychopath with a dark sense of humor, and I think he carried this film on his back. Halle Berry isnt terrible as the leading lady, but her performance isnt anything special either. You can just tell shes going through the motions most of the time, and she does have some bland and boring moments. The story here is pretty average and predictable., and there is a surprising twist at the very end, but I wasnt too crazy about this one.
Cursed (2005) 7/10- Yeah, I know this rating might be a little bit high, but I enjoyed every second of this one! Jesse Eiseneberg is hilarious in this film, and Christiana Ricci is decent as the leading lady here. Also, Judy Greer was very entertaining as Joanie. She was this hyper and stuck up woman who could be very mean, and there were times where she wanted to make Riccis life a living hell. Cursed does have its fair share of cheesy and predictable moments, but I still thought this was a very enjoyable film. All of the werewolf kills here are pretty gruesome, and there is a nice amount of violence and suspense in this one. Cursed offers a nice mix of comedy and horror, and I think it worked very well here
I saw this film for the first time just last night and it's probably the best film I've seen in 2011 so far. There was no flaws in this film and the story and plot was just so,so great. This may be the best revenge film I've ever seen, and yes that's a big declaration from considering I'm a huge fan of Kill Bill and that I'm a Tarantino fan boy. A very,very good twist in the end and the acting in this film nothing short of powerful.
I decided to give Devil a shot. It was on CineMax OD. What can't a I say, it was a horror movie and I like horror movies. Goddamn-it Eb, you need a stricter standard when deciding to give movies a chance.
The story is suppose to be based on some bible prophecy; which isn't necessarily a bad thing I think. But man, what a fucking awful movie. The main characters are introduced not 10 minutes into the movie and all of them are bat shit annoying BEFORE the plot actually begins. The entire time the people that are suppose to be helping these annoying fucks are just as worthless. They wait til the end of the movie, and after most of the annoying fucks are killed, to get the fire dept? WUT The ending is a cliff hanger, which is the worst kind of ending.. It means a sequel is bound to happen.
I guess that is what I get for watching a movie made by the director. I don't even fucking care enough to make sure I can spell his name right, it is M. Shalayman or some shit like it. Fuck this guy and fuck this movie.
I decided to give Devil a shot. It was on CineMax OD. What can't a I say, it was a horror movie and I like horror movies. Goddamn-it Eb, you need a stricter standard when deciding to give movies a chance.
The story is suppose to be based on some bible prophecy; which isn't necessarily a bad thing I think. But man, what a fucking awful movie. The main characters are introduced not 10 minutes into the movie and all of them are bat shit annoying BEFORE the plot actually begins. The entire time the people that are suppose to be helping these annoying fucks are just as worthless. They wait til the end of the movie, and after most of the annoying fucks are killed, to get the fire dept? WUT The ending is a cliff hanger, which is the worst kind of ending.. It means a sequel is bound to happen.
I guess that is what I get for watching a movie made by the director. I don't even fucking care enough to make sure I can spell his name right, it is M. Shalayman or some shit like it. Fuck this guy and fuck this movie.
To be fair, M. Night Shyamalan DIDN'T direct this film, and he did not write the screenplay. I think keeping Shyamalan away from the screenplay was huge, because Shyamalan is a terrible writer. He did come up with the story, and he was a producer for this one, but he didn't have a lot of control over this film. I'm not a fan of Shyamalan, but some of his other films have been far worse than this one.
As far as Devil goes, I thought it was pretty okay. I think I gave it a 5/10 in one of my older posts in this thread, because I didn't think it was that bad. Devil had it's moments, and there was some good suspense every now and then. Devil isn't great, but I don't think it's horrible.
Besides the overall annoyance part, I think the problem with the movie is that they tried to add "suspense" and "horror" together and it just bombed. I do think the movie would've been a lot better if it wasn't necessarily a horror film, but rather an hour and a half of 5 people about to kill each other because of whatever reason. Kinda like the movie 12 Angry Men. It was just two hours of arguing without them telling you what exactly happened at the end.
The director for this film was John Erick Dowdle. I enjoyed Quarantine (2008), but this is the only other Dowdle film I've ever seen, so I can't say I know too much about this guy.
Besides the overall annoyance part, I think the problem with the movie is that they tried to add "suspense" and "horror" together and it just bombed. I do think the movie would've been a lot better if it wasn't necessarily a horror film, but rather an hour and a half of 5 people about to kill each other because of whatever reason. Kinda like the movie 12 Angry Men. It was just two hours of arguing without them telling you what exactly happened at the end.
Survival was a big part of this story. Someone in the elevator wasn't normal. There was one person who nobody could trust, and this person was responsible for the quick and brutal deaths. I enjoyed the finger pointing and the sudden alliances, and I thought this film did enough to keep you guessing, because let's be honest, the ending (the revealing of the killer) was a good shock. I don't know about you, but I didn't see it coming at all.
Although, there were times were the formula became kind of redundant and tiresome. Every time the lights went out, all I could say was "Okay. Here we go again." This was the only thing that bothered me about the story, because it just wasn't scary after a while. The victims would die in the same way, and the shock factor began to fade as this film progressed.
My mom begged me to watch The Sorcerer's Apprentice with her last night. I tried to put my hatred for Nick Cage aside, and it didn't help me enjoy the more anymore.
Jay Baruchel was the main character and goddamn how annoying was this guy's accent? It was okay in How to Train Your Dragon, but in this one it was just very distracting. Nick Cage did any okay job, I guess. But as usual, he was flat and monotonous and totally not funny. The rest of the cast were so forgettable, I couldn't pick them out of a line up right now. Tho, it is nice to see Alice Krige get work. I thought she was oddly attractive in Sleep Walkers.
The CGI was pretty enough, nothing to stand out considering there is a 1,000 and one movies these days that have the humans using magic ala a video game. And the only real part in the movie that I would was 'cool' visually was the part in China Town with the dragon, mainly because it reminded me of a PS2 game I have.
As far as the story goes, I wasn't engaged by it. Then again, I am not a big fan of sorcery and/or CGI-heavy movies and the likes. They tried to add some heavy dialogue parts, but they were so flatly acted that it was it even more obvious that it was a while before the CGI parts.
In the end, it just felt like a Michael Bay film, but with an actual story. I hate Michael Bay films too.
Super 8 (2011) 8/10- I had high expectations for this film, and I wasnt disappointed by this one. I enjoyed every minute of Super 8, and I do think this film is one of the better blockbusters in 2011, because Super 8 really does have that big time feeling. The kids did a GREAT job of carrying this film. The kids in this film had interesting characters, and their personalities were different and unique. The chubby kid was hilarious, and Joel Courtney did a fine job with the lead role. I wanted to feel for his character, because he had to overcome a tragic loss, and the relationship with his father was always strained, and Joes Father couldnt understand his son. Alice was caught in the middle of a tough situation, and there was a tense situation between Louis (Alices Father) and Jackson (Joes Father). But Joe was willing to look past this. He accepted Alice. Super 8 is mysterious and this film does have an emotional and sad story. The train crash is jaw dropping, and this film did take me on a journey. Super 8 does have its fair share of cheesy moments, but I still thought this was a very enjoyable film. J.J. Abrams did a good job with the writing and directing, and he has shot up my list of favorites with this one.
Midnight In Paris (2011) 10/10- Marvelous. Midnight In Paris was a real treat, and it really is hard to complain about this film. My only gripe with this film was the method of time travel
Owen Wilson manages to travel through time in this film. He waits outside, and when the clock strikes midnight, he hops into a car that takes him to the past. They never give an in-depth explanation about Wilsons time travel. He just jumps inside a car, and before you know it, hes back in the past! This was one of the weirdest time travel methods Ive ever seen, but I dont think it dragged this film down.
The time travel stuff was strange, but I still enjoyed the story. Owen Wilson was never truly happy, and he grew tired of his stuck-up and pushy fiancé (Rachel McAdams) and her nitpicky parents didnt help things either. Wilson wanted to be free, and towards the end of the film, he deiced to change his outlook on life, but at the same time, he realized dreaming about nostalgia and freedom felt great, but living in a dream world wasnt all that it was cracked up to be. The acting was outstanding in this film, and some of the performances are worth admiring. Corey Stoll was awesome as Ernest Hemmingway, and Marion Cotillard did a good job with the Adriana character. She was the mysterious woman who Wilson falls in love with, and she did have this charming presence. Midnight In Paris has its funny moments, but the ending here is very bittersweet. This film offers a good amount of humor, and while I did enjoy the story, it did have its strange moments. This story doesnt have a mass appeal feeling, and a lot of people might not like it. Still, Midnight In Paris offers a good amount of humor, and the scenery looks gorgeous here. Woody Allen really outdid himself with this one, because this has been the best romantic comedy Ive seen in 2011.
Green Lantern (2011) 6/10- I dont know too much about The Green Lantern story. I dont hate The Green Lantern, but he was never one of my favorites as a kid. I picked up all my information from various cartoon shows over the years, because Im not a Green Lantern fanatic. Anyway, I enjoyed this film, and I thought Green Lantern delivered. This film featured some nice action scenes, and the CGI wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. Ryan Reynolds actually did a fine job with the lead role here. I thought he would be the cocky douchebag we always see throughout this film. Well, he was like this most of the time, but there were times where he could be serious. Blake Lively was okay as Reynolds love interest/long time friend. I wish I couldve seen more of Mark Strong( Sinestro), because he was one of the highlights of this film. Also, Peter Sarsgaard was fantastic as Dr. Hammond. He was creepy, insane, and there times where he could be truly evil. This film has been an underachiever at the box office so far, but I had a lot of fun while watching Green Lantern.
Just Go With It (2011) 1/10- Overkill. That is the one word I would use to describe this film. I get it. Brooklyn Decker is smoking hot, but did they really have to go so over the top with exploiting her sex appeal? Seriously, the slow motion shot of her walking out of the water couldve been enough. This was the perfect moment to drool over. I didnt need to be constantly reminded of how hot she was throughout the entire film. Also, its hard for me to say this, but the kids were HIGHLY annoying in this film, especially the little girl. The stuff with the little girls British accent was funny the first time around, but they really drove this into the ground. They kept using it throughout the entire film, and after a while, it just isnt funny anymore. The humor in this film is also fucking terrible. A lot of the humor and jokes revolve around Deckers character being the stereotypical air headed hot blonde, whos young and hot. Deckers character is actually a smart woman in this film, but they couldnt back away from the dumb blonde jokes. And I saw another lazy performance from Adam Sandler. It just looked like he mailed it in here. Just Go With It features a horrible story, there arent too many funny moments here, and this is another one of those romantic comedies that are painfully predictable. Oh, and I dont know what they were going for at the very end here ..
At the very end of the film, Sandler finally realizes hes in love with Jennifer Aniston, so he decides to bail on the wedding with Palmer (Decker). Aniston and Sandler live happily ever after, and Palmer is all alone. Palmer leaves Hawaii by herself, but she meets Andy Roddick on the plane back to the mainland. For those of you who dont know, Roddick and Decker are married in real life. It looks like the two might hit it off, and the film ends shortly after this. I guess they were trying to go for a WOW! Thats cool! Theyre married in real life! type of reaction here, but how many people know about this marriage? People who are glued to entertainment/Hollywood shows surely know about this couple, but if youre not a Hollywood gossip junkie, then theres a good chance you dont know these two are together. If this were Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, then I could appreciate the on-screen pairing, but Roddick and Decker dont have that type of star power.
This was stupid, the entire film sucked, and Adam Sandler has climbed up my shit list again.
Buried (2010) 9/10- I was very surprised by this film. At first, the idea of Ryan Reynolds spending an entire film trapped in a coffin doesnt sound fun, but Buried managed to keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Ryan Reynolds is the ONLY person who you will see in this film. Sure, he talks to a bunch of other random people on the phone, but he doesnt have physical contact with anyone else. You really want to feel for Reynolds character, as hes trapped inside the coffin. He fears for his life, and Reynolds did such a great job of playing this terrified person, who was stuck in a deadly situation. Reynolds is the victim of terrorist kidnapping in Iraq, so he decides to turn to his government for help, but everything doesnt go as smoothly as he thought it would. Buried is filled with some great tension and suspense, and this film did take me on an emotional roller coaster, because I really did want to root for Reynolds character. This film has a very gut wrenching ending, and I really did feel the shock of the sudden twist. Ryan Reynolds did a good job here, and he really carried this film.
Staunton Hill (2009) 0/10- I wanted to like this film, but for the most part, Staunton Hill is VERY boring. This film starts out very slow, and I could never get into this. This is a horror film, but there arent any real spook moments in this one, and the suspense and tension just isnt there. There are some gruesome and repulsive kills in this one, but Staunton Hill still didnt pull any emotional reactions out of me. Also, the characters here are really stupid .. Hey lets hitchhike a ride with some guy we just met out in the middle of nowhere! His car broke down, but we can spend the night in some creepy barn! And while were at it, lets trust the strange family we meet in the morning! Of course, the strange family turns out to be a group of murdering psychopaths, and the terror FINALLY begins. They throw a twist at you towards the end, because there is a mole in the group that spends the night in the barn, but this film was already in the dumpster, when this big secret was revealed. Also, I couldnt buy into the family of killers here. A group of younger and faster adults are going to have problems with an obese woman, an older lady in a wheelchair, and young guy who obviously has some mental problems? The killers here were insane, but they didnt have that threatening presence. Staunton Hill was horrible, and I wish I wouldve avoided this one.
Just Go With It (2011) 1/10- Overkill. That is the one word I would use to describe this film. I get it. Brooklyn Decker is smoking hot, but did they really have to go so over the top with exploiting her sex appeal? Seriously, the slow motion shot of her walking out of the water couldve been enough. This was the perfect moment to drool over. I didnt need to be constantly reminded of how hot she was throughout the entire film. Also, its hard for me to say this, but the kids were HIGHLY annoying in this film, especially the little girl. The stuff with the little girls British accent was funny the first time around, but they really drove this into the ground. They kept using it throughout the entire film, and after a while, it just isnt funny anymore. The humor in this film is also fucking terrible. A lot of the humor and jokes revolve around Deckers character being the stereotypical air headed hot blonde, whos young and hot. Deckers character is actually a smart woman in this film, but they couldnt back away from the dumb blonde jokes. And I saw another lazy performance from Adam Sandler. It just looked like he mailed it in here. Just Go With It features a horrible story, there arent too many funny moments here, and this is another one of those romantic comedies that are painfully predictable. Oh, and I dont know what they were going for at the very end here ..
At the very end of the film, Sandler finally realizes hes in love with Jennifer Aniston, so he decides to bail on the wedding with Palmer (Decker). Aniston and Sandler live happily ever after, and Palmer is all alone. Palmer leaves Hawaii by herself, but she meets Andy Roddick on the plane back to the mainland. For those of you who dont know, Roddick and Decker are married in real life. It looks like the two might hit it off, and the film ends shortly after this. I guess they were trying to go for a WOW! Thats cool! Theyre married in real life! type of reaction here, but how many people know about this marriage? People who are glued to entertainment/Hollywood shows surely know about this couple, but if youre not a Hollywood gossip junkie, then theres a good chance you dont know these two are together. If this were Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, then I could appreciate the on-screen pairing, but Roddick and Decker dont have that type of star power.
This was stupid, the entire film sucked, and Adam Sandler has climbed up my shit list again.
Just Go With It: 8/10- Mitch, I'm Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this one. I thought Just Go With It was great and hilarious and thought it was anything but lazy. Although you summed up the movie I'll add my part to it also.
Adam Sandler plays a "womanizer," in the movie. He figured out a trick to get woman to sleep with him or have one night stands and than never see them again. He does so by having a wedding ring and creating lies about how his wife is cheating on him, leaving him, and so on. However one night he meets a girl (Brooklyn Decker) and they strike up a relationship without Sandler using the wedding ring and lies. After a night on the beach Sandler forgets he still has the ring with him and Decker's character finds it. She asks what it is and he says he's married but getting a divorced. The catch is she wants to meet his "wife." So Sandler ends up having his assistant (Aniston) pretend/pose as his wife and her kids be his also. They are really good friends and have been for several years. While pretending to be married and faking getting a divorce Aniston and Sandler realize that they are really in love with each other.
I gave it eight out of ten because of the over the toppness at the beginning of the movie. Aniston and Sandler play plastic surgeons. Sandler gives everybody over the top/insanely fake surgeries in the movie that you wouldn't see in real life. That was my only complaint. However Kevin Nealon's character/cameo was hilarious. Nicole Kidman's and Dave Mathews cameos were terrefic too. Sorry Mitch but I have to respectively disagree with you. I felt the movie had a great story, and great laughs throughout.
Note: I'll probably be back on later this week with other movies I watched.
Just Go With It: 8/10- Mitch, I'm Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this one. I thought Just Go With It was great and hilarious and thought it was anything but lazy. Although you summed up the movie I'll add my part to it also.
Adam Sandler plays a "womanizer," in the movie. He figured out a trick to get woman to sleep with him or have one night stands and than never see them again. He does so by having a wedding ring and creating lies about how his wife is cheating on him, leaving him, and so on. However one night he meets a girl (Brooklyn Decker) and they strike up a relationship without Sandler using the wedding ring and lies. After a night on the beach Sandler forgets he still has the ring with him and Decker's character finds it. She asks what it is and he says he's married but getting a divorced. The catch is she wants to meet his "wife." So Sandler ends up having his assistant (Aniston) pretend/pose as his wife and her kids be his also. They are really good friends and have been for several years. While pretending to be married and faking getting a divorce Aniston and Sandler realize that they are really in love with each other.
I gave it eight out of ten because of the over the toppness at the beginning of the movie. Aniston and Sandler play plastic surgeons. Sandler gives everybody over the top/insanely fake surgeries in the movie that you wouldn't see in real life. That was my only complaint. However Kevin Nealon's character/cameo was hilarious. Nicole Kidman's and Dave Mathews cameos were terrefic too. Sorry Mitch but I have to respectively disagree with you. I felt the movie had a great story, and great laughs throughout.
Note: I'll probably be back on later this week with other movies I watched.
Whoa! An 8/10? You actually thought this film was that good? I can understand where you're coming from Attitude, but this movie just annoyed the shit out of me the entire time. I usually don't have a problem with predictable storylines, but I do have a problem with painfully predictable stories. If a story can entertain me or catch my attention throughout the entire film, then I won't have any complaints. But I didn't feel like this as I watched Just Go With It....
After a while, Sandler's courtship of Decker starts to drive me nuts. He lies about the wedding ring, and then he decides to use Jennifer Aniston as a fake wife. I wasn't too annoyed yet at this point. Then, Sandler decides to lie about Aniston's kids. At this point, I became irritated. But I really lost my cool, when Katherine's son decided to tell a lie that secured the trip to Hawaii. The story just became more whacky and absurd as time went on, and I could not get into it.
I always felt this film was trying way too hard for laughs. Everything just felt so forced.
Also, I'm sorry, but I couldn't stand Sandler. He was very dry in this film. I didn't see anything special from him. Yeah, Sandler's character had a nice little story. He was the guy who used a weeding ring to pick up women. He would tell these unbelievable lies, and of course gullible women would fall for them. Sandler's character might have had a funny background story, but I thought his performance was lifeless and dull in this film. And let's be honest, he WASN'T the highlight of this film as far as humor goes. You mentioned Kidman and Matthews, and I wish we could've seen a lot more of them in this film. They were pretty funny, as they portrayed this pompous and stuck-up married couple, and they provided more laughs than Sandler did in this film.
For me, the last Sandler film I could truly enjoy was Anger Management, and I thought Jack Nicholson carried that film. Sandler wasn't bad, but Nicholson stole the show here.
Now I saw the first Rec film about 2 Years ago. Not "Quarantine", the shitty American remake, but the Spanish Original. I fell in love with it instantly. It's such a gritty Horror movie, filmed in a totally unique way. The first film is filmed solely on one Camera, with the help of "Shaky-Cam". Rec 2 has a few more Camera's in it, as each SWAT member carries one, but it is still as effective as the first. It begins exactly where the first starts and ends, well, when it ends. If you've not seen Rec or Rec 2, they are HIGHLY recommendable, to any fan of Horror Films. Oh, and don't bother with Quarantine. Keep it Spanish.
Whoa! An 8/10? You actually thought this film was that good? I can understand where you're coming from Attitude, but this movie just annoyed the shit out of me the entire time. I usually don't have a problem with predictable storylines, but I do have a problem with painfully predictable stories. If a story can entertain me or catch my attention throughout the entire film, then I won't have any complaints. But I didn't feel like this as I watched Just Go With It....
After a while, Sandler's courtship of Decker starts to drive me nuts. He lies about the wedding ring, and then he decides to use Jennifer Aniston as a fake wife. I wasn't too annoyed yet at this point. Then, Sandler decides to lie about Aniston's kids. At this point, I became irritated. But I really lost my cool, when Katherine's son decided to tell a lie that secured the trip to Hawaii. The story just became more whacky and absurd as time went on, and I could not get into it.
I always felt this film was trying way too hard for laughs. Everything just felt so forced.
Also, I'm sorry, but I couldn't stand Sandler. He was very dry in this film. I didn't see anything special from him. Yeah, Sandler's character had a nice little story. He was the guy who used a weeding ring to pick up women. He would tell these unbelievable lies, and of course gullible women would fall for them. Sandler's character might have had a funny background story, but I thought his performance was lifeless and dull in this film. And let's be honest, he WASN'T the highlight of this film as far as humor goes. You mentioned Kidman and Matthews, and I wish we could've seen a lot more of them in this film. They were pretty funny, as they portrayed this pompous and stuck-up married couple, and they provided more laughs than Sandler did in this film.
For me, the last Sandler film I could truly enjoy was Anger Management, and I thought Jack Nicholson carried that film. Sandler wasn't bad, but Nicholson stole the show here.
I understand about the Hawaii Trip. That actually never crossed my mind. I actually did think that was really far fetched. But still I found the movie overall to be good and entertaining. And honestly I thought it was predictable to as many romantic/comedy romance movies are nowadays. I mean I knew before the movie came out and watching previews that Sandler was going to fall for Aniston (I should say predicted). However knowing that or knowing what I did there were a couple parts that I believed that Sandler would end up with Decker and follow through with that relationship(maybe I was being to gullable.).
To be fair I am huge Adam Sandler fan so I might being a little generous on the movie.
My next movies:
Batman Begins:10/10. The Batman Franchise has become one of my favorites. This is a great story showing the beginnings of Bruce Wayne as Batman. Shows the story of his family, friends, why he chose Batman as his name, and shows the big reason why he wants to defend the city against crime. It also shows his training to become Batman. Once again this has become one of my favorite franchises and this movie plus the Dark Knight show why I like these movies so much. It's because they are terrific. I look forward to the next movie coming out either this year or next.
The Ledge, 9/10. This is one of those On Demand, "same day as theatre" movies, which was a Sundance theatre movie. The basic qustion the movie asks is "What would you die for?", and it is brilliantly laid out. Without giving anything away, an athiest hotel manager has an affair with a fundamentalist Christian's wife, which leads to dire consequences.The movie quite literally starts with a cliffhanger, as an atheist hotel manager named Gavin (Charlie Hunnam)is standing atop a high rise, while Hollis, a Catholic detective (Terrence Howard), is trying to piece together the reason he's up there, trying to persuade him not to jump, and dealing with devestating news of his own he had just received that morning. The two slowly break the tension and make small talk about marriage and faith, at which point we delve into Gavin's past and his encounter with a Christian extremist, Joe (Patrick Wilson).
None of the characters in the movie are completely sympathetic, which is where the brilliance of the movie lies. Gavin, the main character in the movie, is an athiest with no belief in the afterlife or regards for consequences for his actions because he thinks there is no God. Liv Tyler plays a former drug addict who is rescued by her husband and becomes a Christian as a result, but falls into a passionate affair with athiest Gavin. Joe, Tyler's husband, is a former drug addict himelf who now holds very ridgid beliefs on right and wrong, good and evil. Christopher Gorman plays Gavin's roommate, a homosexual who lost his job and was taken in by Gavin after being found to be HIV positive. And Howard is brilliant as the negotiator who tries to piece together the reasons why Gavin "must" take his own life at 12 noon by jumping from an 8 story building.
The major storyline of the movie is the affair between the Athiest and the Christian, and the explosive consequences that result. The movie contains quite a bit of religious and philosophical discussion, all of which was impactful and played a great role in the direction of each character. The story would seem to boil down to Atheism vs Christianity, but it truly boils down to ideals and the willingness to sacrifice for what one believes in, and the natural reactions that take place when one feels betrayed and hurt, and the extremes they go to. It's a movie where one needs to ask "what would I do if i was " ", and put oneself in each character's shoes. I thought that all the characters were very believable and they are introduced in ways that you can find yourself in their shoes almost immediately. If the movie doesn't provoke discussion and thought long after, you must not have been watching. My wife and I debated the actions and beliefs of each's character for hours following the film, leaving me with new perspectives I hadn't considered. The central thesis of the film -- that belief can go too far -- is played out on a small stage. This is a drama of just 5 people, but the intricate explosions between them pull at the heartstrings far more effectively than a car chase in an action film would. We hear so much about the dangers of religion in big stories like 9-11, gay rights, and abortion rights. Here is a film about the dangerous of "religion" in the everyday, the dramas so commonplace that everyone who watches can find something in their own lives to compare it with. I left wondering, "What would I do" if I was in each character's shoes, and I still haven't come to a conclusion. Between being well-written, well acted, and thought provoking on many levels, there arefew movies Ive seen in years that I enjoyed more. Highly recommended, as the movie doesn't preach, it simply raises honest questions that anyone, religious or not, should consider.
Just Go With It- I honestly can't believe that there is any debate over this movie. About 2/3 of the way through, I got up and fucking left the room. This film was just awful on every level. Nothing was funny, nothing made sense, and that little girl was just unbearable. I sincerely hope she never finds any work again. Fuck, I'm starting to feel that way about Sandler at this point. He should be ashamed of this garbage. 0/5
Buried- I had to watch this one alone because my girl hated 127 Hours and this was kind of similar. That and she doesn't like anything that isn't about Lollipops and Unicorns anyway. So I kind of went into this with 127 Hours in mind and honestly, I totally thought Buried was better. Ryan Reynolds was the only person you see in the entire movie, no flashbacks or nothing, just him laying there. Somehow the movie managed to stay intense throughout and had a very gut wrenching ending. Loved this one. 4.5/5
So, I watched Case 39 because my mom wanted me to.
The plot is that a social worker thinks this 10 year old girl is being abused by her parents. Everyone thought they were insane, including Emily (the social worker). Turns out that the little girl was El Diablo and her parents were trying to kill her. So, Lilith (the little girl), manipulates Emily into taking her in as a foster kid.
The deaths in the movie were really sad and uncomfortable for me to watch. I can deal with hack and slash movies. I can do with people being eaten. But as I found out, I can't deal with people being so helpless as they panic to death. I dunno; It could've been the acting. Speaking of which, this was a really well acted movie. I couldn't pick any of these guys out of a line up because I've never seen a movie with any of them before, but they all did fantastic. I was really blown away because horror movies usually suck in this department.
Despite all the goods, I just couldn't get into the movie. My mom thought it was hysterical because she is a social worker and has had to deal with little monster. I just was like "" the entire time. However, the ending was fantastic. Without spoiling it too much, I loved when there is finality in horror movies. It gets really tedious knowing that 9 out of 10 times, the monster/evil dude survives.
Bad Teacher (2011) 5/10- This wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. Bad Teacher does provide a few good laughs here and there, but I couldnt get into the predictable turn this film took at the very end
Cameron Diaz isnt interested in true love. She wants to find a man, whos loaded with money. She wants to be taken care of. Well, after her engagement to a wealthy man falls apart, she decides to pursue Justin Timberlake. Timberlake is a goofy and nerdy substitute teacher, but Timberlake is rich, so Diaz sees him as perfect target. Throughout the film, Jason Segel (the gym teacher) tries to pursue Diaz, and he is pretty persistent, but Segels character is an average Joe, and he doesnt make a lot of money, so Diaz wants nothing to do with him at first. But towards the very end of the film, Diaz realizes Segel accepts her for who she is, and Diaz decides to fall in love with the gym teacher. I didnt think the film would go this way, because Diaz did a good job with this character, and at times, she came off as this lone rebel. I thought this film would take a chance, because I didnt think Diaz would do the right thing. I understand Diaz learned from her mistakes. She changed, but did they really have to go with the cheesy ending here?
Still, Bad Teacher was pretty entertaining. The humor in this film is VERY vulgar and raunchy, and the car wash scene did go over the top a little bit. Cameron Diaz actually did a fine job with the Elizabeth character. She was very believable as this rude and superficial woman, who wanted to take shortcuts in life. But Diaz could also show compassion. She was able to help one of her more insecure and awkward male students gain self-confidence, as he tried to pursue one of the popular girls in the class. Also, Lucy Punch was hilarious as Amy Squirrel. She was this stuck-up and very nerdy woman, who wanted to do everything by the book. She was awesome as Diazs rival, and the duel between these two was fun to watch. Bad Teacher wasnt great, but I am happy I decided to take a chance on this film.
Hyenas (2011) 0/10- The story for this film is pretty bad, and I do regret taking a chance on this one . At the start of the film, a woman and her infant child are murdered by a couple of males, but these two viscous killers arent normal human beings. They can transform into blood thirsty hyenas, who feed off of human flesh. Of course, they arent the only ones of their kind. Theres a group of Hyena creatures that live in the mountains outside of a small town, and they feed on anyone who dares to set foot into their territory. The husband of the murdered woman and child (Costas Mandylor) decides to join forces with this crazy crackpot old man, who has dedicated his life to destroying the entire Hyena creature clan. Yeah, I really tried to get into this, but I just couldnt. Besides Mandylor, the acting is horrible in this film, and I thought using Hyena creatures as the killers here would make this film unique. Well, I was wrong. It was refreshing to see Hyenas here, because using werewolves and vampires as a murderous rebel clan has been done before. But the story here was just awful ..
So Costas Mandylor (Detective Hoffman from the Saw films) decides to join forces with Crazy Briggs, and after a while, these two men become a strong force, as hyena creature killers. But Mandylor falls for Valerie (a rescued female victim). Towards the end of the film, Valerie reveals herself as one of the killer Hyena creatures, and guess what, shes pregnant with Mandylors child! And Valerie must fight Wilda (the uncrowned alpha female leader of the hyena clan) for the right to lead the hyena creatures. Of course, this was a fight to the death, and Valarie managed to win the fight in an old and abandoned mine. Valerie enjoys her glorious triumph for a moment, but Mandylor spoils the party, when he decides to sacrifice himself, by using some dynamite to finish off the entire hyena clan.
This story took so many wild turns as the film progressed. This film starts out as tale of revenge, but then a love story between Mandylor and Valerie springs up. But towards the end of the film, Hyenas solely focuses on the blood feud between Wilda and Valerie?!?! I think Hyenas tried way too hard. They tried to cram so much stuff into the story, and the end result was one gigantic clusterfuck.
Also, this film features this very odd feud between two local gangs, and an idiot teenager, who wants to be accepted by the cool people gets caught in the middle. This feud is fueled by racism, and the confrontations between these two gangs were kind of intense, but I could never get into this. This feud just felt so random and generic. The racism stuff also pissed me off. You can tell they were just using it for a cheap shock reaction. Although, there is one nice twist towards the end
The town Sheriff (Sheriff Manfred) reveals himself as a member of the Hyena clan. Manfred was one of the driving forces that debunked the hyena myth, and he was the Sheriff of the town, so he did play a big part in the hyena creature killing spree. He kept his identity hidden, and I can understand the whole nobody would suspect the Sheriff twist, but this one shock came too late, and this wasnt enough to save this film.
Christa Campbells nude scenes are the best part about this film, and this film definitely took advantage of this womans good looks. I get it. The hyena creatures must shed their clothing in order to transform, but they continued to show Campbell nude throughout the film. Hell, theres a scene in this film, where Campbell dances nude on the hood of a car! Of course, this was used as a way of distracting a couple of gullible male victims, as other hyena creatures attacked. I guess they thought the hot naked woman would distract viewers from the horrendous story. Well, it didnt work for me. Hyenas is a very dull and lifeless film, with no real spook moments, and I didnt feel the tension and suspense here. Sorry if I rambled too long on this one, but Hyenas really, really pissed me off.
Somewhere (2010) 7/10- The Virgin Suicides will always be my favorite Sofia Coppola film, but Somewhere was enjoyable. Stephen Dorff plays a Hollywood actor, who seemingly has the perfect life. Hes rich, he can enjoy random hot women whenever he wants, and he drives a Ferrari! Everything should be perfect, right? Well, things change when Dorffs character begins to spend time with his daughter (Dorffs marriage fell apart, and custody issues dont allow him to see his daughter that much).
Dorff begins to bond with his daughter, but towards the end of the film, Cleo must leave for camp. Dorffs character becomes heartbroken after this, because he finally realizes hes all alone in the world. Sure, having tons of money and fame is great, but Cleo made Dorff realize he needs love and compassion in his life. At the very end of this film, Dorff decides to leave the fast life behind him. He leaves his Ferrari in a dessert, and he walks the highway by himself, and Dorff smiles, as he thinks about his new future.
Somewhere isnt a spectacular film, but I thought this was well done. This film was emotional, the story is touching, and I really wanted to feel sorry for Dorffs character at the end.
The Warriors Way (2010) 6/10- I thought I would hate this film, but The Warriors Way didnt upset me too much. This is a VERY over the top film most of the time. The fight scenes in this one are pretty bloody and gruesome, and the final battle almost gave me headache, but The Warriors Way does feature some nice special effects, and I really enjoyed the cast in this film. Dong-gun Jang is very believable as this silent and deadly warrior, who chose to do the right thing, and Kate Bosworth was very entertaining here. She could be funny and joyous, but there were times where she could be serious and mean, and for the majority of the film, Geoffrey Rush provides most of the comic relief. The Warriors Way has a nice set of characters, who you can feel for, and I thought this was a nice touch on this film. Some of them are struggling with tragic and heartbreaking losses, and some of them are trying to find their way in the world. The Warriors Way was a fun film most of the time, but this one does feature some silly moments.
Homecoming (2009) 6/10- So Mike (Matt Long) decides to return to his hometown for a jersey retirement ceremony at his old high school. Elizabeth (Mikes new girlfriend) comes along for the trip, and this doesnt sit well with his psychotic ex-girlfriend, Shelby (Mischa Barton). Shelby has some serious mental problems, she still has feelings for Mike, and she refuses to let go of the past. One night, Shelby accidentally hits Elizabeth with her car while driving. Well, Shelby decides to look after her, but theres one major problem with this nobody else knows about the accident! Elizabeth is at the mercy of her boyfriends crazy ex. Shelby holds Elizabeth captive, and Shelby does resort to some harsh methods of torture. The story for Homecoming is pretty basic. The crazy ex-girlfriend goes batshit, when the love of her life brings a new woman to town, and Shelby will do ANYTHING to win Mike back. The story wasnt anything great, but Homecoming was a pretty solid, and I do think this film worked well for the most part. Sure, most of the twist and turns were predictable, but I was hooked into this one from beginning to end. There are some nice moments of suspense here, and I really enjoyed the characters in this film. Shelby was the evil ex, but there were times where I could feel sympathy for her character. She was all alone in the world, and Mike was the only person who could make her happy, but he decided to move on with his life. Elizabeth was a nice person, and she did have this innocence about her. I wanted her to survive in this film, and I was hoping she could escape from Shelbys wrath, because she was an innocent victim. I could feel for her character. Also, I enjoyed the tense relationship between Mike and his brother. Mike was the hometown hero. He was the legendary high school quarterback, and everyone loved him. He was a star. Mikes brother had a nice life. He was the town sheriff, but he could never escape his brothers shadow, and he was very bitter about this. Homecoming is pretty simple, and this film does have its predictable moments, but I still thought this was an enjoyable film. The execution here is good, the cast is solid, and Homecoming does offer some cringing moments.
The Blair Witch Project (1999) 1/10- I tried to give this film another chance. Its been a couple of years since Ive seen it, so I thought my opinion on this one would change. Well, it didnt. I still cant stand The Blair Witch Project, and Ive never understood all the praise this film receives. Im sorry, but the bulk of this film is painfully boring. The three doomed victims spend most of their time arguing with each other, theres a long and drawn out verbal fight over a lost map, and the female characters screaming can become annoying after while. Yeah, I know, youre lost in the woods, and someone is stalking you, and this certain someone will stop at nothing to cause you harm. But the female character constantly screams loudly over and over again, and this is something that drove me nuts. Also, for the most part, I didnt feel the suspense or tension here. Sure, some spooky stuff does happen during the night, but these moments of terror arent enough to save this film. This film does become pretty creepy towards the very end, and there is some nice tension, as the remaining survivors search for a lost friend, but overall, The Blair Witch Project is a very dull film. The acting is terrible in this film, because almost everything revolves around shouting and arguments, and this is can become very tiresome after a while. Also, this is a VERY low budget film, and some people think this is a good thing. Some might think this gives The Blair Witch Project a more realistic and raw felling, but I dont feel this way. The Blair Witch project looks cheap and shitty, and this is another reason why I can never get into this film. I have seen these film a few times over the years, and my opinion of it never changes. The Blair Witch Project could be the most overrated horror film of all time.
Snatch (2000) 9/10- YES! I always have a good time, when I watch this film. The story for this film isnt all that great, but Snatch is very crafty. This film has a nice quick pace, the editing is very clever here, and Guy Ritchie does offer a unique version of storytelling. The twists and turns never stop in this film, and Snatch keeps you guessing until the very end. Also, Snatch features a good amount of colorful and entertaining characters. Alan Ford is great as one of the bad guys in this film. Brick Top can be cold and ruthless, but at the same time, he could be charismatic, and he did have a dark sense of humor. Vinnie Jones was awesome, as he portrayed this viscous mercenary, and Brad Pitt was hilarious, as the carefree bare-knuckle boxer. The dialogue in this film is outstanding, and Snatch does feature some great humor. Ugh, now I actually want to watch the next Sherlock Homes film, because I really need a fresh Guy Ritchie fix.
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" the entire time. However, the ending was fantastic. Without spoiling it too much, I loved when there is finality in horror movies. It gets really tedious knowing that 9 out of 10 times, the monster/evil dude survives.
